Kansas Lawmakers Pass Governor's School Aid Plan
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas legislators have approved Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly's plan for increasing public school funding in hopes of satisfying a court mandate. The vote Thursday in the GOP-controlled House was 76-47. The Senate approved the measure on a 31-8 vote to send it to Kelly. She is expected to sign it. The bill ties Kelly's proposal to increase spending on public schools by roughly $90 million to several education policy changes favored by GOP lawmakers. Kelly pushed her funding proposal as a way to end a protracted education funding lawsuit. Four school districts sued the state over education funding in 2010. The Kansas Supreme Court said in an order last year that a 2018 law promising additional funding increases wasn't sufficient because it hadn't accounted for inflation.
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Kansas House Approves Governor's School Aid Plan
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas House has approved Democratic Governor Laura Kelly's plan for increasing public school funding in hopes of satisfying a court mandate. The vote Thursday in the GOP-controlled chamber was 76-47. The Senate was expected to vote on the measure later Thursday, and its approval would send it to Kelly. The bill ties Kelly's proposal to increase spending on public schools by roughly $90 million to several education policy changes favored by GOP lawmakers. Kelly pushed her funding proposal as a way to end a protracted education funding lawsuit. Four school districts sued the state over education funding in 2010. The Kansas Supreme Court said in an order last year that a 2018 law promising additional funding increases wasn't sufficient because it hadn't accounted for inflation.
Kansas Lawmakers Facing Court Mandate Set to Hike School Aid
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) _ The Republican-led Legislature in Kansas is preparing to give its final approval to a public school funding increase that the state's Democratic governor is pushing as the way to end a protracted education funding lawsuit. But lawmakers aren't sure that it's enough money to do the job. Lawmakers expected to take up-or-down votes Thursday in both the House and Senate on a bill containing Gov. Laura Kelly's proposal for an increase of roughly $90 million a year. The measure ties the new money to several education policy changes favored by GOP lawmakers. Four school districts sued the state over education funding in 2010. The Kansas Supreme Court said in an order last year that a 2018 law promising additional funding increases wasn't sufficient because it hadn't accounted for inflation.
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Kansas Governor's School Aid Plan Moves Closer to Passage
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas legislators are moving closer to passing Democratic Governor Laura Kelly's plan for increasing funding for public schools. House Republicans gave up Wednesday night on trying to find an alternative to Kelly's proposal to increase spending on public schools by roughly $90 million a year. The Senate approved Kelly's plan last month with bipartisan support. The House has yet to pass a funding proposal but did narrowly pass a bill making changes in education policies. That was enough for the House and Senate to begin negotiations this week on both money and policy. The Senate didn't back off its support for Kelly's plan. House negotiators agreed to take a vote on it in their chamber, along with a few policy changes. The House expects to vote on the package Thursday.
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Kansas GOP Struggles for Votes to Override Tax Relief Veto
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Top Republican lawmakers in Kansas are struggling to find enough GOP votes to override Democratic Governor Laura Kelly's veto of a tax relief bill despite a strong push to save the measure from the state Republican Party. The measure Kelly vetoed was designed to prevent individuals and businesses from paying more in state income taxes because of changes in federal tax laws at the end of 2017. Republican leaders made it their top priority this year. Republicans hold the two-thirds majorities in both chambers necessary to override a veto, but they struggled Wednesday to keep too many GOP lawmakers from bolting and voting against a veto override. The Kansas Republican Party launched a text-based petition this week to show support for an override and a Facebook ad criticizing Kelly.
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Lawsuit Challenges Kansas Statehouse Policy on Banners
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A federal lawsuit has been filed on behalf of the three college students who were detained after unfurling banners at the Kansas Statehouse in support of Medicaid expansion. The American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas said Thursday the Kansas restrictions suppress political expression. It seeks a court order prohibiting Kansas from enforcing what ACLU contends are flawed policies. The litigation stems from an incident last month involving Kansas State University students who hung large banners saying Republican legislators who oppose expanding Medicaid have "blood on their hands." The students were initially barred from the Statehouse for a year, but have since been reinstated. House Majority Leader Dan Hawkins, a conservative Republican singled out in one of the banners, says the rule is in place to prevent damage to the Statehouse.
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KU to Offer Course on the 'Angry White Male"
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — A congressman is chastising the University of Kansas for offering a course titled "Angry White Male Studies." Kansas Republican 4th District Representative Ron Estes was among those turning to social media, lamenting in a tweet that the university has "decided to offer a class that divides the student population." The school's academic catalog says the course will chart "the rise of the 'angry white male' in America and Britain since the 1950s, exploring the deeper sources of this emotional state." Humanities professor Christopher Forth, himself a white man, will teach the course this fall. Forth and a university spokeswoman didn't immediately return phone and email messages from The Associated Press. Other colleges also have been exploring masculinity amid the #MeToo movement, including Duke University, which describes its "Men's Project" as being "dedicated to interrogating male privilege."
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1 of 3 Suspects in Triple Murder in Lawrence Pleads
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — One of three Topeka men charged in a triple homicide in downtown Lawrence has pleaded guilty to attempted voluntary manslaughter. The Lawrence Journal-World reports 23-year-old Ahmad Rayton was scheduled to go to trial Monday but accepted the plea deal Wednesday. He had previously been charged with two counts of attempted second-degree murder and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Sentencing is scheduled for May 8. The shootings in October 2017 involved two groups of Topeka men who had previous confrontations. They fired about 20 shots, killing three and injuring two others. Twenty-year-old Dominique McMillon pleaded guilty in March to misdemeanor battery and was released from jail. A third suspect, 22-year-old Anthony Roberts Jr. is scheduled for trial in June on three counts of murder.
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Bodies of 2 Kansas Men, Former Roommates, Found Separately in Oklahoma, Kansas
LIBERAL, Kan. (AP) — Authorities in Kansas and Oklahoma are investigating the deaths of two men from southwest Kansas. The Kansas Bureau of Investigation says a farmer reported on Tuesday that he found the body of 25-year-old Timothy Martin, of Liberal, Kansas, in a ditch on his property in Texas County, Oklahoma. Because the property is near the Kansas-Oklahoma state line, authorities from both states began investigating. The KBI says while investigators were working on that case Tuesday evening, the Seward County, Kansas, Sheriff's office received a report of a second body in a trailer west of Liberal. That man has been identified as 31-year-old Erick Salas, of Liberal. Authorities believe the deaths are connected because the two men were former roommates.
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Suspended School Resource Officer Charged with Child Rape
BONNER SPRINGS, Kan. (AP) — Authorities say a school resource officer in Kansas City, Kansas, has been charged with child sex crimes. The Kansas City Star reports that 30-year-old Mark Scheetz, of Lansing, faces two counts of rape and two counts of aggravated criminal sodomy. The Kansas Attorney General's Office filed the charges last week in Norton County District Court. His bond is set at $500,000. Charging documents say Scheetz had sex with a child under the age of 14 several years ago while he was living in the county. The Kansas City, Kansas, district has its own police department. The school district said last week that it placed Scheetz on administrative leave pending the results of the investigation. Before coming there, Scheetz worked for the Sheridan County Sheriff's Office from 2016 to 2018.
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Midwest Governors Demand More Control over Waterways
COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) — The governors of three Midwest states ravaged by March flooding say they will pushing for more control over management of the Missouri River that borders their states. Management of the dams and levees along the river falls to officials of the U.S Army Corps of Engineers, who met with Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts and Missouri Governor Mike Parson for much of Wednesday afternoon in Council Bluffs, Iowa. The three governors, all Republicans, questioned a shift by the Corps in 2004 to no longer prioritize flood control along the river over other goals, such as maintaining fish and wildlife habitat. Asked whether the Corps indicated it would or could cede some river management decisions to the states, Parson replied, "Well, they listened." The governors said they plan to work together for that change, even if it means petitioning Congress to give states more authority in river management. Kansas Governor Laura Kelly has been slated to attend Wednesday's meeting, but ran into travel problems that required her to back out.
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Deadly Shooting Under Investigation in Kansas City, Kansas
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Authorities say one man is dead after a Kansas City, Kansas, shooting. The Kansas City Star reports that the shooting happened shortly before 11 pm Wednesday. Officers responding to the area found a man who had been shot. Police say he was pronounced dead at the scene. The man's name wasn't immediately released. Police are urging anyone with information to call a tips hotline.
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Ohio Gamer Pleads Guilty in Deadly Kansas Hoax
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — An Ohio gamer has pleaded guilty to asking a prankster to make a bogus emergency call that got an unarmed Kansas man killed by police. Nineteen-year-old Casey Viner of North College Hill, Ohio, changed his plea Wednesday to guilty on charges of conspiracy and obstruction of justice. He's accused of trying to hide his involvement. Sentencing for Viner has been scheduled for June 26. Viner became upset while playing Call of Duty: WWII online with 20-year-old Shane Gaskill of Wichita. Prosecutors say Viner then asked Tyler Barriss of Los Angeles to "swat" Gaskill. Police responding to the call shot the unarmed man, Andrew Finch, when he came to the door. Swatting is sometimes used by gamers to send first responders to an opponent's address. Barriss was sentenced last week to 20 years. Gaskill's trial is April 23.
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Motion Questions Attorney's Effectiveness in Lawrence Murder Case
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — A Lawrence woman convicted of killing a 52-year-old man has filed a civil case claiming her attorney was ineffective during her trial, including not arguing for a battered woman defense. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports an attorney for 24-year-old Sarah Gonzales-McLinn says the post-conviction relief case is not about whether she is guilty but about her trial attorney's effectiveness. Gonzales-McLinn, a Topeka native, was convicted in January 2014 of drugging and nearly beheading Harold Sasko at a home they shared in Lawrence. She was sentenced to 50 years with no chance of parole. The motion alleges Gonzales-McLinn killed Sasko after he kept her in sexual and financial slavery for more than a year. The motion could result in a 25-year sentence, a new sentencing hearing, a new trial or dismissal.
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KBI Investigating Marshall County Clerk's Office
MARYSVILLE, Kan. (AP) — Authorities say Kansas Bureau of Investigation agents served search warrants at several locations in Marysville, including at the Marshall County Clerk's Office. KBI spokeswoman Melissa Underwood told The Topeka Capital-Journal the warrants were related to an ongoing criminal investigation into alleged conduct by an employee of the clerk's office. She said more information would be released if the investigation leads to an arrest or charges. Additional details weren't immediately released.
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Wichita Detective Faces Misdemeanor Charge, Placed on Leave
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Wichita police say a detective was charged with misdemeanor battery after an incident with a co-worker. Police spokesman Charley Davidson said in a news release Thursday that Rick Craig was placed on unpaid leave until investigators determine whether he violated police department policies. Davidson said no physical injuries occurred but he did not provide details of the incident. The Wichita Eagle reports court documents say that between April 1 and May 30, 2018, Craig contacted another person in a "rude, insulting or angry manner." Sedgwick County District Judge David Dahl issued a protective order that forbids Craig from contacting the co-worker. The Sedgwick County Sheriff's office investigated the incident.
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Missouri Bill Would Bar Condemnation for Wind Energy Line
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — One of the nation's largest wind energy projects is facing a new obstacle from Missouri legislation that could prevent the high-voltage power line from being strung across the property of unwilling landowners. A Missouri House panel advanced legislation Wednesday that would prohibit the use of eminent domain to acquire easements for the Grain Belt Express project. The proposed 750-mile transmission line would carry wind power from Kansas across Missouri and Illinois into Indiana, where it would hook into a grid serving eastern states. The $2.3 billion project has been repeatedly delayed by regulatory hurdles and court battles. But it won a significant victory in March when Missouri's utility regulatory commission deemed it a public utility, allowing it to pursue condemnation cases against landowners who refuse to sell easements.
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Kansas City Suburb Becomes Latest to Repeal Pit Bull Ban
LIBERTY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City suburb of Liberty has become the latest in Missouri to repeal its ban on pit bulls as attitudes against the dogs soften. KCUR Radio reports that voters decided Tuesday to ditch the prohibition that had been on the books for three decades. About two dozen other Missouri cities also have repealed their bans. Backers of bans say pit bulls are bred to be dangerous, but repeal advocates argue that the restrictions are outdated and arbitrary. The Liberty Pitbull Alliance began lobbying the city council to repeal the ban three years ago. Member Jessica McKinney says, "The science and all the studies show that pit bulls are not the monstrous breed that has been portrayed by some of the media."
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Wichita Man Gets Life in Prison for Drug Deal Death
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A 20-year-old Wichita man has been sentenced to life in prison for the shooting death of a man during a marijuana deal. KAKE-TV reports Mark Holley III was convicted in January of first-degree murder and six other charges in the April 2017 shooting death of 18-year-old D'Shaun Smith. Holley will be eligible for parole after 25 years. District Judge Stephen Ternes added more than 10 years to be served after Holley completes the life sentence. Investigators believe Smith and a woman met Holley to buy marijuana. Instead, Holley tried to rob them and shot Smith, who died in his car.
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Sears Set to Open First Batch of Smaller Stores, Including One in Overland Park
NEW YORK (AP) — After its journey through bankruptcy, Sears is getting ready to open its first batch of smaller stores focusing on appliances, mattresses and home services. The first three stores called Sears Home & Life will open on Memorial Day weekend and are a fraction of the size of the company's traditional stores. Peter Boutros, chief brand officer for Sears and Kmart, declined to say how many of the stores are in the works but said locations have been identified. However, he said the new-format stores will not take the place of Sears' remaining 425 stores. The company also plans to ramp up TV advertising and is planning to extend its Kenmore brand beyond major appliances into kitchen accessories, plates and knives. The new smaller stores will be located in Overland Park, Lafayette, Louisiana; and Anchorage, Alaska, Boutros said. They range in size from about 10,000 to 15,000 square feet. The average Sears is about 155,000 square feet.
The moves come nearly two months after Sears Chairman Eddie Lampert bought the Hoffman Estates, Illinois-based company for $5.2 billion in a bankruptcy auction through an affiliate of his hedge fund. With the deal, Sears retained the Kenmore appliances and Diehard battery brands and continues to sell Craftsman tools through licensing partners. The company sold Craftsman tools to Black & Decker in 2017. Sears filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in October 2018. "We need to instill confidence that we are open for business," said Boutros in an interview with The Associated Press, declining to comment on recent sales trends. Lampert is restructuring the business, but Sears' long-term survival remains an open question. It has to contend with increasing competition from the likes of Best Buy, Home Depot and Walmart.
Each of the new stores will sell both major and small kitchen appliances. Customers can meet with experts to explore how new appliances will look in their home. They will also have kiosks where shoppers can order items available online and in the regular stores and can have them be delivered to the store or delivered at home. Boutros declined to comment on sales projections for the new store formats.
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